Automobile wheel



Oct. 19 1926. v

H. E. STRATFORD AUTOMOBILE WHEEL Filed Feb. 8, 1922 IIIHM' mvzuronHa/vim 5, StmI F wmubw ATTORNEY Patented a. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRISON E. STRATFORD, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL.

Application filed February 8, 1922. Serial No. 534,870.

My invention has for its object the construction of an all-metal wheelsuitable for automobiles and other uses, especially where pneumatic orrubber tires are employed, and

a which shall embody strength and simplicity in its construction, becapable of being readily assembled and dismantled, and produced atmoderate cost.

'My object is also to provide simple and efficient rotating means andother special improvements in relation to the hub structure of the wheeland the sheet metal disk portion, whereby great strength is obtained,and a simple, positive and substantial means for driving the wheel isprovided in the plane of rotation between the sheet metal disk portionand the hub vproper.

My object is also to provide certain improved features in relation tothe hub-structure of the wheel and the sheet metal disk,

especially at the beveled, bent, or otherwise angular portions, wherebythe strains and shocks encountered by the wheel may be properly and moreuniformly transmitted,

diffused and distributed by and over the wheel, and the possibilitiesfor injury to it greatly reduced.

My object is also to provide a simple and substantial means for quicklyattaching the sheet metal disk portion of such a wheel to its hubstructure, and in such manner as will enable these members to be quicklyand easily dismantled.

My object, is also to provide a dependable and quickly releasablelocking means in relation to the hub structure of the wheel, the sheetmetal disk portion and the hub cap, whereby the said disk portion, hubstructure and hub cap, when assembled together,

tion preparatory to rotating as a unit.

With the above and other. .obj,ects in view, the nature of Which will bemore fully understood from the description hereinafter, my inventionconsists in-the novel construction of automobile wheel, as hereinaftermore fully described and defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improvedwheel with the tire in place, taken on line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is afront" elevation of my' improved wheel with portions broken away to showthe interior construction; Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 8-3of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail showing thelocking means for the hub cap;

may be firmly and securely locked in posi- 2 indicates the hub properand may be a casting 'or forging of steel or other metal and securelyfastened to the end of the axle 3, in any ordinary manner. This hub 2 isprovided with a radial flange 4 near its inner end, and at its outer endit is provided with a screw threaded portion 24 and a circular groovedend 26. The hub may be braced by radial ribs, as shown,and whichterminate adjacent to the circular rib 6 on the radial flange 4, saidcircular rib being of greatly less diameter than the total diameter ofthe radial flange. 10 is a sheet metal disk and at its outer perimeterit is flanged as at 15, the connection between said flange and theradial portion of the disk being formed by a curve of considerableradius, as will be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 4. The bodypart of the disk 10 is inclined inwardly toward the center, to a planewhich would be substantially central through the rim and tire carriedoutside of the rim, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 1. At theinner end of the disk 10, the sheet metal is curved in an ogee orreverse curve forming an annular rib portion 12. From this ogee portion12, the sheet metal extends inwardly in a radial plane 11, toward theaxle 3, and parallel with but slightly clear of the outer face of theradial flange 4 as shown in Fig. 3, and terminates'in an annular rib 13,whose inner end is flanged and rests against the outer face of saidradial flange 4 and also against the circular rib 6 of the hub portion.Extending radially outward from theannular rib 13, the annular flatportion 11 of the sheet metal disk 10 is parallel to the outer surfaceof the radial flange 4 of the hub, as aforesaid; therefore the onlypoints at which the sheet metal disk 10 bears upon the hub portion, areat or adjacent to the rib ,6 and the annular rib 13 and also'upon thebeveled edge 7 .of the flange 4. The sheet metal disk 10 is caused torotate with the hub as a unit by means of a plurality of laterallyformed tubular, projections 14 -which'flt int-o corresponding apertures5 in the'radial flange 4 of the hub. In this manner there is a positivedriving of the disk 10by the rotation of the hub; and the disk ismaintained in rigid contact with theflange 4 of the hub by means of aretaining collar part 20, which, at its largest diameter 21, pressesupon the ogee rib-portion 12 of the dlsk 10. The outer or smallerdiameter of the retaining collar part is made with an annularcylindrical flange 22 which is received upon the outer cylindricalportion of the hub cap 23, and which screws directl upon the screwthreaded part 24 of the hu proper, as clearly shown in F ig; 1. It willnow be understood that when the hub cap 23 is screwed upon the outer endof the hub, it directly presses upon the retaining collar 20 and clampsit tightly uponthe disk l0 of the wheel, and maintains the directconnection between said disk and the radial flange 4 of the hub. The hubcap 23 may be provided with a hexagonal or other outer shape such aswill permit of the application of a wrench in adjusting it. When the hubcap is properly tightened, it is locked in its adjusted position by somesuitable means,

and for the purpose of accomplishing this,

the hexagonal portion of the cap, and in this is placed a spring whichsurrounds the detent plunger 25, carrying at its outer end a headportion 25 by which the detent may be withdrawn'when tightening orloosening the cap, and-subsequently permitted to reenga e the groovesbetween the teeth 26. It wi also be noted that these grooves are ofconsiderable longitudinal depth, so

that the hubcap may be given a number of revolutions without-interferingwith the capacity for the en agement of the detent therewith, as will eunderstood by refer- 3 ence to Fi 1. Aside from the hub cap 23 acts asa" protectin acting as t e immediate means for applying pressure to theretaining collar 20 it also coverin fortlie axial nut employed to ho dthe a e in firm relation with the hub.

The-perimeter of the radial flange 4 has one of its corners beveled, asindicated at 7,

" and u p n this annular beveled surface thus provi ed, theogee bend 12of the disk. 10 directly rests, and said annular beveled surfacereceives the thrust and torsional; strains arising in the disk when thewheel is subjected to shocks or side stresses, as when turning a corner,encountering a stone, rut or similar road obstruction, or when Sk1dding.Furthermore, the lateral projecting annular part of the ogee portion 12imparts rigidity to the wheel and directly takes thethrust of theretaining collar '20. It will also be seen that, referring to Fig. 1, ifthe strain be in the direction to the right at thebottom of the wheel,the bending stress .will come upon the angular portion 21 of theretaining collar, whereas, if the strain aeoaeie is to the left, thenthe stress comes directly upon the beveled annular surface 7 of the hubflange. In any event, the ogee bend 12 in the disk provides sufiicientstrength and elasticity to protect the wheel from the strains andstresses as aforesaid.-

Referring now to the rim portion of the wheel, it is manifest that theflange 15 may be secured directly to a wooden or other felly of anysuitable construction, but in adapting my improved wheel for use with apneumatic tire, I prefer to provide the following structure: Fitted uponthe flange 15 is an annular rim portion 16 which may be secured inposition by means of rivets 19, or in some'otlier convenient in nner.One

side of this rim is provided with an outwardly curved flange 17, and theother side is curved inward and around, as at 18, to form an annulargroove.- Adjustably fitted -within the annular groove are twosemi-cirtom of the annular groove, and said finger portions locked inposition by means of a cotter pin 31 or by some other convenient means,if desired. As soon as the inner tube ,is inflated. the shoe 33 pressesupon the outwardly extending flange of the semi-circular ring portions27 and upon the heel portion 29, with the result that the toe portion 29engages the rib 18 on one side while the edgeof the annular curvedportion 18 receives'the pressure of the'semi-circular ring portion 27 ata pointsufliciently distantfrom the 'toe portion as to limit the outwardmovement. In this manner, the tire is firmly clam ed in position betweenthe flanges 17 and 27, and the expansion of the tire firmly binds thelatter rigidly in position, asindicated.

8 is the brake drum, and represents a type commonly used on inotorvehicles, being in the'form of a pressed sheet metal part constit'utinga disk shaped body and circular flange about whichrthe brake band isplaced. The brake drum herewith shown fits concentric to the hub and mayrest directly against the inncr face ofthe hub flange 4 as :in Fig. 1;and may be secured to said flang'e bymeans of bolts or cap screws 9.

No-claim is made in this application to the specific construction of thedetachable rim retaining flange for use in association 'with the tire,as the same forms subject matter of my divisional application Serial No.

594,442, filed Oct. 14, 1922.

It wilI'now be apparent that I have devised a novel and usefulconstruction which embodies the features of advantage enu- I merated asdesirable, and while l have in the present instance shown and describedthe preferred embodiment thereof which in practice has been foundreliable, and to give satisfactory results, it is to be understood thatl[ do not restrict myself to the details, as the same are susceptible ofmodification in various particulars without departing from the spirityorscope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1 a plurality of lateral projections extending from said annular partthrough the transverse apertures of thevhub flange and said disk memberalso formed with an annular .ogee shape to provide a circular shoulderdirectly resting upon the beveled perimeter portion of the hub flange ina substantially circular line acting as a fulcrum, a retaining -meanshavin an annular. abutting edge directly clampm the disk member near theogee ortion t ereof *whereby its circular shoul er portion is tightlpressed against the beveled perimeter of thehub flange and theprojections of the disk member are held in positive engagement'with theapertures'inthe flan e, and means adjustable upon the clamping position.

' 2. The invention according [to claim 1, wherein the retaimng meanscomprises a dome-shaped part fitting over the hub with its larger end inclamping relation with the disk member and its smaller end guided uponthe hub.

3. In a Wheel,-the combination of a hub having .a radial flange, theperimeter of which is beveled on its outer edge to provide an inclinedannular surface, a disk member of sheet metal constituting the body ofthe wheel having a central opening and also formed with an annular ogeeshape providing an annular shoulder at a distance from its centralopening and also forming an annular surface portion inward from the ogeeportion arranged adjacent to the outer surface of the hub flange andprovided with lateral projections thereat engagin the hub flange, andwherein the annular s oulder of one circular part of the said ogeeportion rests directly upon the inclined annular sur face of the hubflange with a clearance on each side of it, and means securedto the hubat its outer side for causin the ogee portion of the disk to be clampeupon the inclined surface of the flange of said hub.

4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein further, the innerannular surface part of the disk is sli htly separated from the hubflange except %or the contact of the lateral projections and the ogeeportion, and the means for clamping the ogee part of the sheet metaldisk to the flange of the hub comprises an annular shaped metalretaining member forming a cup having its larger and inner endaloneresting directly upon the central annular portion of the sheet 'metal.disk adjacent-to the ogee portion thereof and extending over thelateral projections. hub for holding the retaming means in In testimonyof which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

HARRISON ns'rRA'rFoRn.

